International Orthodox Church Music Festival „Hajnowka 2015” in Bialystok is organized by the „Orthodox Church Music” Foundation from Hajnowka. The Festival is realized with cooperation with Stoleczna Estrada in Warsaw and the Regional Cultural Animation Center and Podlachian Museum in Bialystok.

So far, the International Orthodox Church Music Festival has drawn the participation of 752 choirs from 36 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and Australia: Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Georgia, India, Iran, Israel, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldavia, Germany, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, the United States, Hungary, and Italy. There were choirs that performed orthodox church music in the contest regardless of religion and nationality: Orthodox Christians, Old Believers, Catholics, Greek Catholics, Protestants, and also Muslims, Buddhist, and Judaists.

This year’s festival will include 27 choirs from 11 countries (in Europe and Asia). The Festival’s competition will take place in 5 choir categories: parish, amateur secular, youth, music school, and professional choirs.

The international jury will be headed by Romuald Twardowski, a preeminent Polish composer and pedagogue, celebrating his 85th birthday this year. He has been directing the jury’s work almost since the start of the Festival — since 1983. The jury consists of prominent modern composers, whose orthodox church music is frequently performed, and conductors — former Festival winners from Poland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine.

The Festival opening ceremony and the Inaugural Concert will take place on Tuesday, 19 May 2015. It will begin with the performance of the „Gaude Mater Polonia” hymn by last year’s laureate, Youth Cultural House Choir from Bialystok conducted by Barbara Kornacka. Kiev „Sofia” Choir will answer their predecessors with the „Ziemle Ruskaja” Stichira, to then jointly sing the joyous paschal song „Chrystos Uwaskros” with music from modern Belarusian Composer and singer Aleg Zieletniov, also a Festival laureate. The Inaugural Concert, named „Orthodox Church music — from sources to modern times” and dedicated to Romuald Twardowski, will also see the premiere performances of Lesya Dychko (Ukraine) Anatoliy Kisielov (Russia) and Vladimir Cholak (Moldavia), composed especially for this occasion. The concert will be presented by last year’s festival laureate, the Kiev Cameral Choir „Sofia” (under the patronage of the National Composer Association of Ukraine) conducted by Oleksiy Shamrytskyy. Two of the Jubilee’s compositions will also be performed, including the premiering piece „Bozhe wo Imia Twoje.”

The Festival’s competitive auditions will take place over three days: 21 May (Thursday), 22 MAy (Friday), and 23 May (Saturday) of 2015.

The results announcement, the Awards Gala, and the Gala Concert will take place on Sunday, 24 May 2015.

The results announcement will, once again, traditionally, be preceded by a joint performance by a group of several hundred choir singers and viewers of „Gaude Mater Polonia” and „Ziemla Russkaja” Stichira — hymns that symbolize the unity of the cultures of the East (Great Kingdom of Lithuania) and West (the Crown) joined into the Commonwealth.

Similarly to previous years, the Festival will be accompanied by additional events: A concert in the Krzysztof Penderecki European Music Center in Luslawice, concerts in three different concert halls in Warsaw, X Bialowieza Days of Sacral Music in Bialowieza, Jewish music concert in the Great Synagogue in Tykocin, the International Science Conference „Orthodox Church Music — Traditions and Present Day” in Bialystok organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Musical University with our cooperation, as well as local concerts, for example in Bielsk Podlaski….

Participants in the „Singing Spirit Festival” are invariably united by the uniqueness of orthodox church music — its spirituality, artistry, and universalism.

The aim of the International Festival of Orthodox Church Music “Hajnówka”is to present the great artistic and spiritual values of Orthodox Church music. Its program also creates opportunities for discussions, meetings, exchanges of experiences and forming new relationships between participants from different environments – thus, it is equally enriched by its aesthetic and educational objectives.

So far, the Festival has taken place under the Patronage of the President of Poland as well as the Patronage of the Polish Ministry of Culture and under the Artistic Patronage of prof. K. Penderecki.

“Saghmos” Choir from Erevan (Armenia), Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad Choir from Croydon– Sydney (Australia), from Lahovichi village, the Choir of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God „Joy of all in sorrow” from Minsk, Minsk Theological Seminary Choir from Zhirovichy (Belarus), “Vila” from Prijedor (Bosnia and Herzegovina), of the Church St. Petka from Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Kykkos Monastery Choir (Cyprus), Coptic from Faisal – Giza (Egypt), of the Church St. Nicholas from Tallin, “Supriadki” from Narva (Estonia), from Oulu, from Tampere (Finland), of the Church St. A. Newsky from Paris (France), of the Church of St. Panteleimon from Tbilisi, “Nekressi” from Lagodekhi (Georgia), Bulgarian Orthodox Church Choir in Berlin (Germany), “Zumoro” Theological Seminary from Kottayam-Kerala (India), Metropolitan from Riga, Old Believer Choir from Daugavpils (Latvia), “St. Zlata Maglenska”, “St. Kliment Ohridski” from Skopje (Macedonia), of the Monastery of St. Teodor from Chisinau (Moldova), Priests of the Orthodox Białystok-Gdańsk Diocese Choir, Children’s, Youth and Mixed Choirs of the Church St. Nicholas and “Carmen” Cathedral Choir from Białystok, Orthodox Institute of Psalmists Choir from Hajnówka, Christian Academy of Theology and of the Church St. Maria Magdalena of the Uspenska Church Choir from Warsaw from Białowieża, Białystok, Fasty, Hajnówka, Narewka, Lublin, Sanok, Wrocław, and Zabłudów (Poland), Orthodox Church Clergy Academy Choir from Sankt Petersburg, The Schools of Orthodox Church Chant of Kruticky Patriarch „Podworja” Choir of Novospassky Monastery from Moscow, Church Choir from Nizhnij Novgorod, Female Choir from Novgorod, Sortowała, of the Church St. Apostle Andrew from Kaliningrad, “Rostov-Don Art Music” of the Church St. George from Rostov and “Lampada” Children’s Choir from Kursk (Russia), of Orthodox Theology Faculty of The University from Iassi (Romania), „Mokranjac”, St. Arch. Gabriel’s Church from Belgrade ( Serbia), Jarabina, of Orthodox Theology Faculty of The University from Presov , „Chrysostomos” Greco-Catholic Cathedral Choir from Bratislava (Slovakia), “Sofia” from Stockholm (Sweden), Choir from Kiev – Pieczerska Ławra, Youth Choir “O czudiesie” Orthodox Church St. Nicholas from Kiev, of Svyatopokrovsky Monastery from Kharkov, from Moshna, Children Cathedral from Winnica, from Zolotonosha, Kiev Orthodox Christian Academy Choir (Ukraine).

Children’s Fine Arts School Choirs from Kamieniec, “Lira” Choir from Minsk (Belarus), Choir of Lithuanian Radio and TV from Vilnius (Lithuania), Youth Cultural House Choir from Bialystok (Poland), State Conservatory Choir from Rostov, “Wiesnianka” and „Radost” from Moscow (Russia), “Wohnyk” Palace of Children and Youth Choir, National Music Academy Boys’ Choir from Kiev, “Zorinka” from Ternopol (Ukraine).

2. Music Academies Choirs:

National Music Acadeny Choir from Astany (Kazachstan)¸ Belarus National Music Academy Students’ Choir, „Elegia” Choir from Minsk, „Visson” Choir of the Republican Center of Contemporary Christian Culture, „Blagowiest” from Minsk, “Sonet” Choir of the Grodno Music Academy, Lida Music College Female Choir (Belarus), “Schola Cantorum Budapestiensis” from Budapest (Hungary), „Renaissance” Choir of the Chisinau Music Academy (Moldova), Student Choir of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Female Choir of the St. Petersburg National Music College, Gnesinykh Music Academy Choir, Music College Choir of the Moscow Conservatory (Russia), “Collegium Musicum” Choir of the National University of Fine Arts in Belgrade (Serbia), “Soniacznyj strum” Academic Choir from Nikolayev, Worobkiewicz Provincial Fine Arts School Choir from Czerniowce, Academic Choir of the Institute of Fine Arts of the East European National University in Lutsk (Ukraine).

The category and the authenticity of each amateur choir should be confirmed by its artistic manager.

The repertoire should contain no less than five Orthodox Church music pieces, while the time to perform them should take around 18-20 minutes.
The organizers recommend selecting a repertoire from various historical periods.
Any changes in the repertoire should be reported by 15 March 2015.

Applications should be sent to the Organizers’ Office by 15 December 2014.

The applications should be supplemented by the choir’s program and recordings (audio or video)

The organizers will inform the choirs about whether they qualified for the Festival by the end of January 2015.

Qualified choirs, invited to participate in the Festival, are requested to submit the following data before the end of February 2015.
a) phonetic composition titles, with duration of each composition
b) full names of their composers
c) one copy of musical notation for each of the compositions in the program.

Choir performances will be judged by an international jury presided over by Prof. Romuald Twardowski, on the basis of the following criteria:
a) choice of repertoire
b) interpretation
c) conducting
d) artistic impression

All participating choirs will be granted commemorative diplomas. The best choirs will be awarded prizes. The choirs appointed by the jury are obliged to take part in Gala Concert in the same composition as during the qualifying auditions..

Organizers cover the lodging and sustenance (3 meals a day) for choirs.

Qualified participants must cover their travel expenses and are to partly finance their visit by transferring funds (18 EURO per person per day) to the organizers’ bank account before 15 February 2015.

Submitting a written resignation from participation in the Festival by 1 March 2015 allows the possibility of refunding the transferred funds.

During the Festival, the choirs will have an opportunity to perform in additional concerts (with different repertoire).

The organizers reserve unlimited rights to the recording, duplication and distribution of the recorded concerts. The choirs and their conductors will not receive any payment for participation in the concerts, or for eventual radio or TV broadcasts of recordings made during the Festival.